Developing apparatus

Abstract

Photographic material to be processed passes generally horizontally through a succession of processing chambers including a developing chamber. The latter includes a developing-fluid tank containing a body of developing fluid, the body of developing fluid having an upper surface. At least one rotatably mounted submerging roller causes transported photographic material to pass below the upper surface of the body of developing fluid. A counterpressure roller presses the transported photographic material against the submerging roller during transport of the photographic material through the developing chamber. Flow elements are arranged to damp the agitation of the body of developing fluid resulting from rotation of the submerging and counterpressure rollers. The submerging and counterpressure rollers are so arranged that the trailing end of transported photographic material does not drag over the peripheral surface of either roller in circumferential-surface contact therewith.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims: 
     
       1. An improvement to a developing machine for developing color paper susceptible to pressure sensitization while being processed, which has a series of fluid-containing chambers through which the color paper passes along a generally horizontal path, the improvement comprising: a rotatable submerging roller guiding the color paper beneath an upper surface of fluid in a chamber; and a rotatable counterpressure roller located beneath the submerging roller and pressing the color paper uniformly against the submerging roller while the color paper passes along said path, so that the sensitization of the color paper is minimized not by decrease of pressure, but instead by placing the color paper under the uniform pressure. 
     
     
       2. The improvement defined by claim 1, wherein the submerging roller has an outer peripheral surface which is made of rubber. 
     
     
       3. The improvement defined by claim 1, wherein the submerging roller has an outer peripheral surface which is made of synthetic plastic. 
     
     
       4. The improvement defined by claim 1, wherein each of the rollers has an outer peripheral surface, and wherein at least one of the outer peripheral surfaces is made of an elastically yieldable material. 
     
     
       5. The improvement defined by claim 1, further including: a pair of infeed rollers located upstream of the submerging roller and counterpressure roller along said path and guiding the color paper towards the submerging roller and the counterpressure roller; and a pair of outfeed rollers located downstream of the submerging roller and counterpressure roller along said path and guiding the color paper away from the submerging roller and the counterpressure roller, all rollers being so positioned that the submerging roller and the counterpressure roller are closer to the infeed rollers than they are to the outfeed rollers and said path achieves its lowest level intermediate the submerging roller and the counterpressure roller.